The Nightmare Before the Nightmare
by RTNightmare
Summary: Book 1 of (possible) 3 Book Series. This Book is about Jack's afterlife before, when and a little after he became the Pumpkin King. I have put my OC/me, Rachel Terrera into it, and she will almost always be paired with him. I already have most of the story thought out, but not written. Enjoy! I do not own TNBC, but I own some characters. Some (c) Ladybirdbuzz. Rated T for now.
1. Chapter 1: New

**Chapter 1: New**

"Today's the day!" A Halloween Town citizen, a female werewolf named Wulfia, shouted.

"Yes!" Godric, the warlock, exclaimed. "We've waited for so long!"

"Is the doctor sure that it's today?" Gwendolyn, a witch, asked her husband. Godric nodded.

"Oh dear," Gwen's hands moved to her heart. "I better make something nice for them."

Wulfia came up to the couple, almost singing, "Me too! It's not every day we get a new Royal of Halloween Town." She looked down at her son, Wulf, who was tugging on her dress. "Come now, dear, we must prepare." She scooped up her son and walked away.

In another part of Halloween Town, a little closer to the exit of the town, was a strange, dark house where a lot of screaming could now be heard.

Cedric Elroy, the scarecrow Pumpkin King and ruler of Halloween Town, sat beside his wife, Faith, who laid on the bed they shared, attempting to give birth to their son.

"You're going to be okay, Love! I won't let history repeat itself!" Cedric said nervously. He was especially nervous because his wife had originally died in childbirth, and now she was in the process of delivering their now undead son, Jack. Cedric wouldn't let her be taken away from him again.

Dr. Finklestein had everything ready and was waiting on Faith alone. But she was having some trouble.

"It hurts so much!" The ghost woman choked. Cedric gave a sad moan. But that's when the thought struck. Bending over, he helped her along by carefully massaging the baby out.

It took a careful forty-five minutes before they finally heard the first cry from their infant son.

"Oh my," Dr. Finklestein exclaimed as he looked at the baby. "Not at all what I expected!"

Cedric raised a non-existant eye-brow, "What do you mean?"

The doctor said nothing as he bundled up the baby and handed the bundle to Cedric. At first, the King didn't know what was wrong. Then he saw the smooth white and instantly thought the baby was a ghost or spirit like his mother, until he saw the skeletal physique.

"How is that possible?" Cedric asked quietly. "Shouldn't he be either a scarecrow or a ghost like us?"

"What is he, dear?" Faith asked in confusion.

"A skeleton." Cedric answered as he handed the baby to his mother.

"Oh, he's so beautiful!" Faith cooed. "Are we keeping his name Jack?"

Cedric nodded, "But I think he needs a unique last name. Like..."

Dr. Finklestein was one pace ahead, "Skellington...Jack Skellington. It's similar to Harrington."

Cedric looked at Faith, who looked back at him. Then they turned back to the doctor and said together, "Perfect!"

Outside the house, almost all of the townspeople were singing:

_Today is the day!_  
_A new soul has been added!_  
_Now, all we can say!_  
_Is that we're all so very glad!_

_Baby Jack has come!_  
_The crown has an heir!_  
_We're so happy it's done!_  
_And now we must prepare!_

_La, la, la, la, la, la, laaaaaa!_  
_La, la, la, la, la, la, laaaaaa!_

_Now it's time to celebrate!_  
_So much must be done!_  
_This'll be great!_  
_This'll be fun!_

_Together, let's congratulate!_  
_Together, let's sing!_  
_The next time we do so much to celebrate!_  
_We'll be hearing royal wedding bells ring!_

_La, la, la, la, la, la, laaaaaa!_  
_La, la, la, la, la, la, laaaaaa!_

_Hurray!_

As they sang, they danced, for a new soul, a royal soul, had been reborn into their world. But it wasn't the only one that did...

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	2. Chapter 2: The Irony

**Chapter 2: Irony**

On the other side of town where almost no one was sat two people who now stared into the face of their youngest and only child who had just been born, ironically, at the same moment as Jack Skellington had.

Rolland Mason and Marley Terrera had wanted a child for seven years now. After such a lonely and long time, they finally had a daughter, an Enchantress, they called her species.

Rolland was an elemental and Marley was a sorceress. The two had been soul mates who had zinged when they found each other in Halloween Town. That had been ten years ago exactly, on the same day as this day: Valentine's Day.

"Rachel...Terrera? It sounds good, don't you think, dear?" Rolland asked his wife.

Marley nodded and looked at her husband, "She's so perfect. It's a shame no one else knows about her entering this world. They're all focused on Cedric and Faith's son."

Rolland smiled, "Well, let's go introduce her, then."

Marley smiled and nodded, turning back to her daughter, "Yes, let's..."

Two minutes later, the couple with the new daughter exited their house across from the Royal's house at the exact same time as Cedric and Faith exited their house.

The two couples looked at each other. Cedric noticed the blue blanket and turned to his wife holding the green blanket holding a sleeping Jack.

It clicked.

"I don't believe it!" Cedric beamed toward the Rolland and Marley as he walked over, "Congratulations!"

Rolland bowed and smiled, "And to you, too!"

Faith followed Cedric's example, "You had a baby, too? Is that why you've been keeping to yourself the past few months?"

Marley gave a sheepish nodded, but changed it into a proud smile as she spoke, "Oh, yes! Our new daughter was born at 9:40AM exactly. What about your son?"

Dr. Finklestein rolled up in his wheelchair and held up a piece of paper to his face, "Same time...exactly."

All four of them gasped.

"Is that a sign or just a coincidence?" Rolland asked the doctor.

The doctor looked up to him, "I think it is more than a coincidence. I believe your daughter is destined to be great if she was reborn at the same time as the heir to the Pumpkin Throne was."

Cedric smiled wider, "May I see her?"

Marley smiled back, "Absolutely!"

Slowly, as not to wake the baby inside, she handed the bundle to the Pumpkin King.

Cedric carefully unfolded part of the blanket and gazed at baby Rachel. Her skin was a light blue, her hair a jet black. Her tiny faingernails and toenails even hinted that they might always be the same jet black as her hair. Her lashes were beautifully long and, even as a baby, she had a very feminine look.

The King smiled, "So beautiful...she's a sorceress, then?"

Rolland answered, "We've been calling her an Enchantress...that is, if she gains all our abilities. If she is one or the other, we will call her elemental or sorceress. Her name is Rachel Terrera. It sounds better."

Cedric nodded, "I see." He nodded a few times and then exclaimed loud enough for everyone in town to hear but still quiet enough not to wake the newborns, "We shall celebrate both the rebirth of my son, Jack Skellington, and Rolland and Marley's new daughter, Rachel Terrera."

The crowd cheered as the citizens headed to the Town Hall with the two new sets of parents right behind them.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


End file.
